CHAPTER VII. AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE.

After Scott paid his hotel bill and reached his new home, he found that he had just sixty cents left in his purse. To be sure, he would be at no more expense for meals, but it made him feel poor.

When he left the ship he had one hundred dollars. There certainly had been a great shrinkage in his resources.

He was taken by the servant to an inside room on the upper floor. Of course there was no window, and the only light that entered the room was from the transom.

It seemed gloomy, and bade fair to be very close. If it had only been an outside room with a small window, Scott would have been more content. As it was, he found that the two servants were much better provided for than he.

The bed, however, was comfortable, and this[Pg 55] was a partial compensation. But he reflected with disappointment that the room would be available only at night. He could not very well sit in it by day, as it was too dark for him to read.

"I shall be glad when I get to work," he thought. "That will take up my time."

Meanwhile, as it was but ten o'clock, it occurred to him that he would call upon Justin Wood at the Gilsey House. He easily found the hotel, which is on the corner of Twenty-ninth Street and Broadway.

He did not have to inquire for Mr. Wood, as he saw that gentleman through the window, sitting in the reading room.

Justin Wood looked up from the paper he was reading and recognized Scott at once.

"I am glad to see you, my young friend," he said, with a pleasant smile. "What luck have you had?"

"I have found a place, sir."

"That is good. It hasn't taken you long."

"No, sir."

"I am afraid it isn't a very good place. You don't look in good spirits."

"No, sir; I am afraid I shan't like it."

"How did you obtain it?"

[Pg 56]

"Through the relation I was telling you about. He keeps a dry-goods store on Eighth Avenue, and he will give me a place in his employ."

"Then he has treated you as a relation should."

"I am not so sure," said Scott, slowly. "He took all my money, and I am to board at his house."

"Why did he take your money?"

"He said I could not earn my board, and that would make up the deficit¹."

Justin Wood laughed.

"He seems to be a very shrewd man. Still, you will have a good home."

Again Scott looked doubtful, and told his new acquaintance of the small, dark room which had been assigned him.

"Yet you say that Mr. Little has only a small family."

"He has one son of about my age."

"Surely there ought to be a better room for you if he occupies a whole house."

"I should think so."

"He might have put you into the same room with his son."

"I don't think I should like to room with Loammi."

[Pg 57]

"Then you don't like him?"

Scott shook his head.

"We shouldn't agree," he answered.

"Why not?"

"He feels above me because of my poverty."

"The most prominent merchants in the city were once poor boys."

"Then there is hope for me," said Scott, smiling faintly.

"Have you been to your relative's store?"

"Not yet, sir."

"I remember seeing it. It is quite a large one. I think he must be prosperous."

"I shall be very glad to get to work. I don't know what to do with myself now. Besides, it makes me feel helpless to have only sixty cents in my pocket."

"You will have no trouble from the tax collector, that is certain. It is rather a pity you told Mr. Little how much money you had."

"I wish I hadn't now."

"I don't think I would have treated a poor cousin so if he had come across the Atlantic to put himself under my charge."

"I am sure you wouldn't, sir."

"What makes you say that? You don't know[Pg 58] much about me," said Justin Wood, with a quiet smile.

"I can tell by your looks."

"Looks are deceptive," remarked the young man; but he looked pleased with the compliment. "So you don't go to work till Monday?"

"No, sir."

"And I suppose you have nothing to occupy you to-day?"

"No, sir."

"Then be my guest. I will show you something of the city."

"You are very kind," said Scott, gratefully.

"Oh, I shall be repaid. I was wondering what to do with myself. Now the problem is solved. Wait here a minute till I go up to my room, and we will start."

They passed through Twenty-ninth Street, and boarded a Sixth Avenue car.

"You have never been to Central Park, I presume," said Wood.

"No, sir. I have only been about in the lower part of the city."

"We think Central Park a very pleasant place," said the young man, "though in some respects it is not equal to the London parks."

[Pg 59]

"I like parks. I like green grass and trees. I was born in the country."

When they reached Fifty-ninth Street they entered the park, and walked leisurely² to the lake. Scott's eyes brightened, and his step grew more elastic³.

"This is fine," he said. "How large is the park?"

"It is about two miles and a half to the extreme northern boundary. We won't try to see the whole. I will only show you the most attractive features. You will be surprised when I tell you that I haven't been in the park for two years."

"Yes, I am surprised."

"I have no carriage, or I should drive here."

"But it is pleasant to walk."

"Yes, if you have a companion. Most of my friends are men of business, and have no time to spare for park rambles⁴."

"Mr. Wood, I wish you were in business, and I were in your employ," said Scott, impulsively⁵.

"Thank you, Scott. I do think we should get along well. So you think you would like me better than your new-found relatives?"

"Oh, ever so much!"

"Then I will try to foster the illusion," said the[Pg 60] young man, smiling. "Suppose I adopt you as a cousin?"

"I wish you would."

"Very well! Then we will look upon each other in that light."

"Do you live in the city, Mr. Wood?"

"I am not stationary⁶ anywhere. I have no fixed⁷ home."

"Why don't you go into business?"

"Partly because I am blessed with a sufficiency of this world's goods."

"But I should think the time would hang heavy on your hands."

"Well, you see I have something to do in looking after my property. Besides, I am literary."

"Are you an author?"

"I occasionally write for magazines and reviews. I am a graduate of Columbia College. If I had the spur of necessity, perhaps I might make some mark in literature. As it is, I don't have that motive⁸ for working hard. I am rather glad I don't, for I am afraid I shouldn't be able to live at the Gilsey House if I depended upon what I could earn by my pen. Well, have you seen enough of Central Park?"

"I am ready to go anywhere else, sir."

[Pg 61]

"Then I will go with you to the other end of the city and beyond. Have you ever heard of Staten Island?"

"No, sir."

"It is a few miles to the south of the Battery. I own a small piece of property there—a couple of houses at New Brighton, which are let to tenants⁹. They have sent me word that they need some repairs made, and I may as well go over and see them. I never like to travel alone, and as I have a companion I may as well utilize¹⁰ his company."

Half an hour on the Sixth Avenue Elevated train brought them from Fifty-ninth Street to South Ferry. Close beside it the Staten Island boats started from their pier¹¹.

Scott and his companion went on board, and ascended¹² the stairs to the upper cabin. Here they found seats in front, and sat enjoying the fine breeze which is almost always to be found on this trip.

Mr. Wood pointed¹³ out Governor's Island, the Statue of Liberty and other notable sights.

Arrived at Staten Island, they took cars to New Brighton. Mr. Wood attended to his business, and then took Scott on an extended ride around[Pg 62] the island. But first he stopped at a hotel and ordered dinner. This they both enjoyed.

When they left the dining room and went out on the piazza¹⁴ they were treated to a surprise. In an armchair, tilted¹⁵ back, with his feet on the balustrade, sat Crawford Lane, evidently enjoying the fine breeze.

1 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

2 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

3 elastic   

n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的

参考例句：

• Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
• These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。

4 rambles   

（无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论

参考例句：

• He rambles in his talk. 他谈话时漫无中心。
• You will have such nice rambles on the moors. 你可以在旷野里好好地溜达溜达。

5 impulsively   

adv.冲动地

参考例句：

• She leant forward and kissed him impulsively. 她倾身向前，感情冲动地吻了他。
• Every good, true, vigorous feeling I had gathered came impulsively round him. 我的一切良好、真诚而又强烈的感情都紧紧围绕着他涌现出来。

6 stationary   

adj.固定的，静止不动的

参考例句：

• A stationary object is easy to be aimed at.一个静止不动的物体是容易瞄准的。
• Wait until the bus is stationary before you get off.你要等公共汽车停稳了再下车。

7 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

8 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

9 tenants   

n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。

10 utilize   

vt.使用，利用

参考例句：

• The cook will utilize the leftover ham bone to make soup.厨师要用吃剩的猪腿骨做汤。
• You must utilize all available resources.你必须利用一切可以得到的资源。

11 pier   

n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱

参考例句：

• The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害，专家担心它已不能负重。
• The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。

12 ascended   

v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

14 piazza   

n.广场；走廊

参考例句：

• Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
• They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。

15 tilted   

v. 倾斜的

参考例句：

• Suddenly the boat tilted to one side. 小船突然倾向一侧。
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。